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Thursday, September 29, 2011

Book Review and Giveaway: Athanasius

Christian Biographies for Young Readers by Simonetta Carr present clear and concise introductions to John Calvin, Augustine, John Owen, and Athanasius. Written for children aged 7-12, these books are sturdy, hardback copies with thick pages. Additionally, they have a nice, large font which is especially helpful for young readers. Each book has a helpful timeline, maps, many realistic photos, and lovely illustrations which are sure to hold attention spans and capture imaginations. Ms. Carr is careful to give pronunciation helps and definitions for any larger words that may prove challenging.

"From the start, my vision has been to introduce not a random choice of role models, but men and women who have helped to shape the church and our Reformed theology. In other words, the focus is on God's providence, His church, and His doctrine" (From Simonetta's Blog Post "Lady Jane").

She successfully accomplishes this, focusing on godly folks who study and proclaim the Truth of God's Word. Ms. Carr's books are thoroughly researched and generally accurate (a few minor corrections have been posted on her website). I love how she chronicles her researching and writing journey on her blog!

The goal of her newest addition, Athanasius, is to "...bring the Nicene Creed to life for children of all ages, raising relevant questions on the divinity of Christ and the importance of creeds and confessions" (From Simonetta's Blog Post "Latest News"). Ms. Carr does this splendidly. In the following video, you can learn why these things really matter (answer to this question begins at 3:01):

While Ms. Carr's book on Athanasius is thoroughly Biblical, one thing that I think would strengthen it is including some Scripture references and quotes throughout the text. However, I would not let that deter you from investing in these books; simply use it as an invitation to study God's Word with your children to learn the Truth! (Here is a copy of the Nicene Creed with Scripture proofs, if you need help getting started.)

Christian Biographies for Young Readers (in general) and Athanasius (specifically) are helpful resources for familiarizing children with important doctrinal concepts through some of the men that God has used in the history of the church. It is wonderful to see how Ms. Carr esteems God's sovereignty and seeks to lay foundations that will help young readers to not be "...children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes..." (Ephesians 4:14).

Ms. Carr continues to grow as she exercises her gift of writing. My children and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of these interesting biographies and look forward to reading many more, Lord-willing!